My logic regarding "the classic six" was that true prog -- as opposed to progressive -- has some fancy time signatures and classical pretensions, which is why I didn't include Pink Floyd but did include Jethro Tull, even though their prog period only lasted a couple albums. If JT doesn't count, then VDGG could fill in for them, even though they're not very good. I do consider Gentle Giant a major band despite not selling in the numbers of Yes, ELP, and so on. They are just so prog!!

Quaco wrote:My logic regarding "the classic six" was that true prog -- as opposed to progressive -- has some fancy time signatures and classical pretensions, which is why I didn't include Pink Floyd but did include Jethro Tull, even though their prog period only lasted a couple albums. If JT doesn't count, then VDGG could fill in for them, even though they're not very good. I do consider Gentle Giant a major band despite not selling in the numbers of Yes, ELP, and so on. They are just so prog!!

Anyway ...

That is why there ISN'T a "classic six" There is an undisputable four After that you are only ever going to split hairs.

It's like with what you guys call the 'British Invasion' bandsThere's The Beatles, Stones, Who, Kinks and Small Faces. After that everyone from the Tremeloes to Herman's Hermits are clamouring for inclusion. Animals, Hollies, Searchers?

never/ever wrote:..I don;t know whether it it in the Big Six.

My point exactlyIf there *were* such a thing then there wouldn't be any debate over who they were

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The Complete Beatles Mp3 set now available in the usual place, should you want one.

I would place Yes above Genesis They were better (maybe "more conventional") songwriters, more accomplished musicians (aside from Phil) and sold more records. Even if I preferred Genesis - which I have done over the years - objectively Yes are top of the heap.

Crimson are a bit more of an acquired taste. There are very few hooks for the non believer to hang their hats upon, but they are the prog act it has always been acceptable to name drop.

ELP were massive at the time, but they are a bit shit aren't they? Even though I like the 70-77 period as much as I ever did.

So, pretty much agree with you

The Complete Beatles Mp3 set now available in the usual place, should you want one.

Weston Drury, Jnr. wrote:Who decides these things? No band EVER declares themselves part of any generic group!

Did [punk] affect your thinking at all?

“By then we were too far down our own musical road. Also, we’d already rather simplified from the likes of 'Supper’s Ready' to shorter songs. We’d made a big change, we’d moved along.”

“We’d adapted, become more straightforward, and that suited the times better,” says Banks. “It felt natural to us not to keep on doing complicated pieces and reprises and all the rest of it.”“Being on tour such a lot,” says Collins, “we weren’t around to witness punk. We knew what was going on because we read the music papers, but didn’t feel too affected by it. I actually remember thinking, ‘Good – a lot of these bands I don’t like either will just disappear!’ I wasn’t a big fan of most of the bands who suffered anyway.”

Were you aware that you were suddenly proclaimed unfashionable?

“I think we were disliked by some, yes. But it’s like that John Cleese accountant sketch: ‘You’re perfectly boring, you’re perfectly normal, you’re perfectly suited to being an accountant.’ Cleese had an accountant’s meeting the following day, and suddenly realised this had been on television. So he went to his accountant and said: ‘Did you see the show?’ ‘Oh yes,’ said the accountant. Cleese said: ‘Ah. I’m ever so sorry about that.’ The accountant said: ‘No, not at all. You see, I’m a chartered accountant.’ To me it was like: ‘Oh, they’re not talking about us, they’re talking about those virtuoso bands.’ We write songs, we’re not in that group. Although obviously a certain element of what we did was what they were trying to get rid of.”

I believe the notion of the "Big 6" groups was started by Prog magazine. This based on how many copies of the magazine are sold when these bands are featured on the cover. They have found if newer bands are included on the cover, the magazine sells less.

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